Method and apparatus for covering strings attached to balloons

ABSTRACT

A lightweight tubular housing is fabricated from the class of cotton, silk, lace, or combinations thereof. The housing materials are bunched or stretched to reduce or increase the coverage of the balloon strings. The balloon strings are transported through the interior of the housing and then tied to a balloon anchor.

It has been common practice for many years to have and use helium filled balloons at festivities and celebrations, for example, at birthday parties. Such balloons typically have a string attached to each balloon and to a person's hand or another anchor to limit the upward travel of each such balloon. Such “strings” may in fact be lightweight ribbons of various widths, perhaps ¼″ wide or even light weight string or cord typically used to fly a kite.

Whether such balloons as are used are small, for example, of 7″ to 11″ in diameter for birthday parties, or larger, for example, of 6 to 8 feet in diameter for scientific research purposes, one of the main considerations is the weight being lifted by each balloon. The physics of a balloon in air involves the well-know Archimedes Principle, which provides that when a body is fully or partially submerged in a fluid, in this case air, a buoyant force F_(B) from the surrounding fluid (the air) acts on the body. The buoyant force, directed upwardly, has a magnitude equal to the weight of the fluid that has been displaced by the body.

For the balloons to float upwardly, the upward buoyant force must be greater than the downward force of gravity F_(G) exerted upon the weight of the balloon itself, the weight of the gas inside the balloon, the string attached to the balloon, and the weight of anything else attached to the balloon or the string.

It is thus well known to use a gas, lighter than air, to inflate balloons. There are several gases lighter than air, for example, helium, hydrogen, hot air (lighter than cold air) and carbon dioxide, which is exhaled in the normal breathing process from a human's lungs.

Helium is more commonly used than the others, because it is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert chemical element which for the most part is not considered dangerous, other than the very rare instances when inhaled directly from a pressurized tank of helium.

Hydrogen, being somewhat lighter than helium, has sometimes been used to inflate balloons, but does have a major drawback because of its being highly inflammable.

Other than the above referenced lighter than air gases, other examples include neon, water vapor, ammonia and methane.

A common problem associated with using helium, instead of hydrogen to inflate latex balloons involves the fact that the helium atom is very small and can leak out through the latex walls.

A hydrogen atom is smaller than a helium atom, so one would expect hydrogen to have a very high leakage rate. But like nitrogen or oxygen, hydrogen molecules exist only as a pair of hydrogen atoms stuck together, and so are much larger than a molecule of helium.

Helium filled balloons frequently deflate in a day or two. Balloons made from Mylar, although more expensive than latex, are far less permeable and tend to stay inflated for longer periods of time. As an alternative to using Mylar instead of latex, the latex balloon can be treated with special sealants to reduce the permeability of air gases.

However, the gas of choice for inflating balloons is usually helium, and sometimes hydrogen.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a typical version, well-known in the Prior Art, of a plurality of small balloons 10, perhaps each such balloon having a diameter of 7″ to 11″ when inflated with helium. Each such balloon 10 is tied off at its lower end 14 to prevent leakage of the helium from the balloons 10. Each of the balloons 10 is associated with a string 12 having a lower end 16 and an upper end 18. The lower ends 16 of each of the strings 12 are typically, tied together to enable the balloons 10 to be held in one hand of a human, or tied to a well-known weighted balloon anchor 20, typically through a loop 22, also known in the Prior Art, and illustrated in FIG. 2. The respective upper ends of the strings 12 are each tied to one of the tied off ends 14 of one of the balloons 10 to prevent the balloons 10 from floating off.

The Prior Art configuration illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be unwieldy, especially in high winds, and become quite incontrollable. The lengthy unprotected strings shown in FIG. 1 also make such balloons to be more vulnerable to being punctured by sharp objects, thus resulting in the loss of helium from one or more of the balloons.

The configuration of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, 4 and 5, allows the balloons 10 to be more easily controlled and to be less susceptible to being damaged.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevated sketch of a Prior Art system illustrating a well-known method of tying off a plurality of helium inflated balloons, each tied to a conventional weighted balloon anchor;

FIG. 2 is an elevated, enlarged view of the conventional weighted balloon anchor illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a top plan view of an elongated sheet of light weight material used in practicing the invention;

FIG. 3B is a top plan view of the sheet of material shown in FIG. 3A after being rolled into being a tubular cover illustrated in FIG. 3B;

FIG. 3C illustrates in cross section, the tubular sheet illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, in which the two sides of the tubular sheet have been stitched together in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an elevated view of a device which can be used to work the balloon strings through the cover according to the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a pictorial view of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 3A of the drawings, there is illustrated an elongated sheet of fabric material 30, preferably of lightweight, 100% cotton, to ensure the balloons can be kept aloft when using the invention. The sheet 30 can have various dimensions, but preferably will be five (5) feet long and 2-3 inches wide. The width of the sheet 30 can be varied but ultimately, the sheet 30 will be formed into a tubular housing for the balloon strings. Keeping in mind the well-known formula that

C=πD,

where

-   -   C=circumference, π≈3.14 and D is equal to the diameter,         one can easily understand that the interior diameter of the         tubular member used in the present invention can be easily         calculated.

The rectangular shaped sheet 30, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, is first placed on a flat surface. The sheet 30 is cut from a lightweight fabric material, preferably 100% cotton to minimize the weight to be lifted by the plurality of balloons. As an option, a cuff is formed at each of the two ends 32 and 34 of the sheet 30 to lessen the raveling of the material in the sheet 30. The cuff 32 is formed by folding the cuff 32 over the line 36. The cuff 32 is then stitched along the 38 to hold the cuff 32 in place over the top end of the sheet 30.

The cuff 34 is then made over the lower end of the sheet 30 using the same process as above described with respect to cuff 32.

FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B illustrate the effect of folding over the portion 40 of the sheet 30 onto the portion 42 of sheet 30, along the dotted line 44, but only if the two cuffs 32 and 34 have already been formed as above described. However, if the cuffs are not formed the portion 40 will still be folded along the line 44 to overlap portion 42.

FIG. 3C illustrates a cross-sectional view through the tubular configuration illustrated in FIG. 3B. As shown in FIG. 3C, the ends of portions 42 and 44 are overlapped and then stitched together along the dotted line 43. The excess material of the two portions 42 and 44 beneath dotted line 43 can then be removed with scissors. After the excess material has been cut off, the tubular configuration 41 is then turned inside out, thus resulting in a configuration having an internal diameter along the length of the tubular member 41 slightly larger than approximately ⅞″ to 1″.

FIG. 4 illustrates an elongated piston-shaped device 50 having an external diameter slightly smaller than the internal diameter of the configuration 41 illustrated in FIG. 3C, the main requirement for the device 50 being that it can easily be passed or worked along through the interior of the configuration 41 of FIG. 3C, preferably after the configuration 41 has been turned inside out. The device 50 can be something as simple as a ball point pen, or perhaps a plastic, wooden, or metallic rod, and can be a long as needed, even longer than the device 41. The device 50 does need to have one or more loops or clips 54 to which the balloon strings can be secured.

In FIG. 5 is a pictorial view of the tubular cover according to the invention. The cover 41 is shown as covering a plurality of balloon strings (ribbons) which can be anchored and tied to a plurality of balloons. It should be appreciated that because of making the cover from a scrunchable material, the cover is very flexible, having variable lengths merely by grasping the two ends 32 and 34, whether cuffed or not, and by pulling one or both ends apart, or by pushing them closer together, thus providing a variable length for the cover between about ten inches and about five feet.

In practicing the invention, the following steps are suggested:

Operation

1. Cut desired number of balloon strings to approximately six (6) feet for each balloon.

2. Fully inflate, a minimum of two (2)-9 inch or two (2)-12 inch balloons.

3. Tie-off each balloon and contain (so does not fly away) until all balloons needed are fully inflated.

4. Take the desired number of balloons wanted for each cover contemplated by the invention (ie: 10 balloons).

5. Arrange balloons as desired.

6. Using any slender item with a “hook” as your threading device (ie: Stylus pen, ball point pen, safety pen, a straightened, wire coat hanger, etc.); wrap/tie balloon strings around threading device to secure the strings.

7. Insert threading device into cover.

8. While holding the threading device with both hands (one on top of the threading device and one on the bottom), grab the fabric with the hand on the bottom and feed/push up while extending the fabric at the top. Keep repeating until you reach the bottom of the fabric.

9. Pull the threading device out until you see the balloon strings.

10. Remove the balloon strings from threading device (while still holding strings to avoid losing balloons.)

11. Adjust the balloon strings to desired height (from ten (10) inches up to five (5) feet).

12. Secure the balloon strings to the anchor you have provided.

13. Cut off excess string (if any).

14. Arrange the balloon cover by pulling up or down to your desired look.

Specifications

The fabric is made of 100% cotton (light to medium weight). Alternatively, silk, lace, cotton, and combinations thereof, can be used as the fabric material. Plain or animal print pattern is used. It is five (5) feet long and ⅞ inches wide (when complete). The fabric can be gathered, bunched, or stretched anywhere from ten (10) inches up to five (5) feet. Can hold anywhere from 2-80 balloons per cover.

If wanting to use a higher length than five (5) feet, more than one cover can be used; however, you will have to adjust the number of balloons used to compensate for the extra weight (ie: if initially used 10 balloons with one cover, may want to double to 20)

How to Make

-   -   Get at least 5½ feet of fabric of choice.     -   Cut a 2″ wide piece.     -   Fold a small edge (about a ½″) down on wrong side of fabric.         Using a straight pin, secure to fabric     -   Make sure the length is 5′ once seams at ends are sewn     -   Fold over (right side to right side); lining up edges     -   Measure 1″ and make a seam (wrong side will be facing out)     -   Trim off excess fabric next to top, bottom, and side seams     -   Get an object (like a safety pin)     -   Pin to one end of “tubing”     -   Insert pin into fabric and feed through until pin comes out         other end     -   Pull the fabric until it is right side out     -   Once fabric is turned right side out, it should measure ⅞″ wide 

1. A method for a least partially covering strings tied to gas-filled balloons, comprising the steps of: forming a tubular housing from a lightweight fabric; passing a plurality of balloon strings through said tubular housing to cause said strings to exit the lower end of said housing; and tying said balloon strings to a balloon anchor.
 2. A method for a least partially covering strings tied to gas-filled balloons, comprising the steps of: forming a tubular housing from a lightweight fabric; turning said tubular housing inside out; passing a plurality of balloon strings through said tubular housing to cause said strings to exit the lower end of said housing; and tying said balloon strings to a balloon anchor.
 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the lightweight fabric comprises cotton.
 4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the lightweight fabric comprises silk.
 5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the fabric comprises cotton lace.
 6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the fabric comprises silk lace.
 7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the lightweight fabric consists of a fabric selected from a class of cotton, silk, cotton lace, silk lace, and combinations thereof.
 8. The method according to claim 2, including the addition of step of gathering, bunching or stretching the lightweight fabric to increase and/or decrease the length of said tubular housing to thereby control the extent of covering of said balloon strings.
 9. A cover for at least partially covering the strings attached to balloons inflated with a lighter than air gas, comprising: a flexible tubular housing fabricated from a light weight fabric material, said tubular housing having a given internal diameter; a threading tool having an external diameter less than said internal diameter, said threading tool having at least one catching device which can be used to catch the balloon strings, whereby said threading tool can be run through the interior of said tubular housing, thereby allowing the balloon threads to exit the lower end of said housing and be tied to a balloon anchor.
 10. The cover according to claim 9, wherein said tubular housing is fabricated from the class of materials selected from cotton, silk, cotton lace, silk lace and combinations thereof.
 11. The cover according to claim 10, wherein said gas comprises helium.
 12. The cover according to claim 10, wherein said gas comprises hydrogen. 